More than $43 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef
Peter Garrett,Tony Burke
posted Thursday, 22 July 2010
The Gillard Labor Government today announced continued support to protect the Great Barrier Reef from the effects of climate change and declining water quality.
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Sustainable Population Tony Burke said $43.9 million had been provided under the Caring for our Country – Reef Rescue initiative.
The $200 million Reef Rescue initiative is the largest single commitment ever made to address the threats of climate change and declining water quality to the reef.
Peter Garrett said Reef Rescue was targeting a 25 per cent reduction in dissolved nutrient and chemical discharge from agricultural lands into the reef by 2013.
“With this announcement, the Gillard Labor Government has now approved more than $144 million to improve reef water quality since our 2007 election commitment,” Peter Garrett said.
“The Great Barrier Reef is an international environmental icon and its protection will secure thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic income.
“This funding boost will be used to build on successful Reef Rescue work already undertaken by farmers, graziers, agricultural industry peak bodies and environment groups,” Peter Garrett said.
Tony Burke said this program demonstrates the important role farmers play in environmental management.
“I am sick to death of farmers being described as environmental vandals. This program builds on the good environmental work that farmers are already doing on their land,” Tony Burke said.
Tony Burke said the funds would be provided through a partnership with six Queensland natural resource management organisations.
Under Reef Rescue to date, 1,480 land managers have undertaken on-the-ground works to improve land management practices over an area of 500,000 hectares.
As a result of the package announced today, an additional 1,800 farmers and graziers are expected to improve the quality of water leaving their land and entering the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon.
Funding for the above initiatives has already been provided for in the Budget.
For more information about the Reef Rescue initiative, visit www.nrm.gov.au
Tags: barrier, burke, environment, garrett, great, reef